And now for the news!

One of the things we love most about science fiction is the same thing we love about self-publishing: it’s created, by and large, by a community of people who believe in taking whatever path fits the situation best, fits the individual creator best, and which best enables writers of so-called “niche” material to reach their (so-called) “niche” audience. For many science fiction authors, especially now, this translates into self-publishing their science fiction, bridging the gap between two of our favorite things.

How did this come to be a thing for science fiction authors? Adam Rowe of Forbes (poor guy, we keep quoting him, he so reliably writes interesting material about self-publishing!) describes how this, ahem, stellar connection came to be. Writes Rowe, “Today, prolific writers can earn six-figure incomes entirely through stories self-published on Amazon. If they’d lived in the mid-twentieth century, those same writers might have instead turned to science fiction magazines, a source of income that has all but dried up today.” The transition from magazines (print) to self-publishing (mostly digital) hasn’t been seamless, it has been lucrative. Rowe quotes the numbers: “Together, self-published indie imprints and indies with no listed publisher make up the largest segment of speculative fiction ebooks sold over the past year, at 46.2% of all ebook units sold in the genres of science fiction and fantasy, according to industry data service Bookstat.” That’s a huge chunk of the new science fiction and fantasy reading material out there! Read Rowe’s full article for more great background on the history of this new normal.

It’s a proud day, indeed, when self-publishing makes The Frisky! This is not a lengthy piece, but it is an important one, as The Frisky’s readership likely includes many newcomers to the idea (much less the lived experience) of self-publishing. This piece, half press release for a new publishing company and half sterling information that applies to anyone looking to publish, details some of the broad-strokes information new authors need to know before pursuing any option. It’s quick, it’s straightforward, and it’s probably exactly what first-time readers need to know to get started in looking for more information on the subject. Many kudos to The Frisky for supporting what we do!

We haven’t given you too many interviews lately, but this one we really couldn’t pass up. Published in the Gaston Gazette (of North Carolina fame) by contributor Michael Barrett, this piece features the work and backstory of author Megan Allen. Allen, who struggles with chronic pain herself, transmutes this experience into the genre of young adult fantasy in her latest self-published release, Magic Headaches. According to Barrett, the book follows the story of “Elinor, a young woman whose headaches give her access to an enchanted world known as Morland.” There’s a practical benefit to writing the book, Barrett notes, in that it provided Allen an outlet for her frustrations over the way the general public perceives and responds to chronic pain. Writes Barrett, “Because everyone gets a headache from time to time, Allen was used to people offering remedies for kicking them, and sensed many people don’t understand what she copes with. Writing the book became her way of processing her own feelings, while also helping friends and family to understand her mindframe.” Not one to let the world get her down, Allen not only conceived of this creative outlet, but pushed through the pain to finish her manuscript and, now, self-publish it. You can learn more about her and Elinors’ fascinating–and enlightening–journeys by reading the full article!

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.